A review written by
Holger Szesnat, tutor in Biblical Studies. Copyright © 2004-2009 by the author. All
rights reserved. Please do not reproduce any part of this document without obtaining permission from the author.This review has been updated
1. Introduction
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Bible+
is a free (GPL -licensed) Bible reader for Palm OS derived from
BibleReader by Poetry Poon." [1] BibleReader later
turned into a commercial programme, and Yih-Chun Hu subsequently
developed Bible+ on the basis of an earlier open source version. Written
for Palm OS 3.3 and better, it is available under a standard General
Public Licence (put simply, it is freely available to anyone, and
programmers are invited to help develop it further). Version 1 appeared
sometime in early April 2003; at the time of writing, the latest stable
release version was 3.03, though this review was written on the basis of
the latest beta-version (3.1.10). |
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Fig. 1: Displaying a single version |
Bible+
allows the user to display Bible versions and other
texts on a PDA (fig. 1). The latest (beta) releases
cater not only for polytonic Greek but also
vocalised Hebrew. A number of Chinese versions also
exist: it seems that if a person can be found to
create a font set, and if the text-base exists,
pretty much any language /character set seems to be
possible. The open source nature of this programme,
coupled with an active group of developers, ensures
good development prospects.
Before
I get into the details of the review, I should be
up-front about my own background and bias. (1) I am
a relatively recent convert to handheld computers; I
have less than a year's experience of working with
PDA's (actually, only one particular PDA, which is a
Palm Tungsten E, running Palm OS 5.21). I have been
working with different versions of Bible+ ever since
I started with a PDA: in fact, it was a description
of this programme in David Instone-Brewers' "TynTech"
reviews that 'sold' me on the idea of PDA. (2) I
have a bias towards free programmes, especially when
it comes to Bible software. Obviously there is a
need for commercial programmes, especially for the
further development of high-end research tools, but
it is also highly desirable to have basic electronic
Scripture tools available for those who cannot
afford the high price ofBibleWorks, Logos, etc.:
which is why I always recommend programmes likee-Sword for PC
and Pocket-PC,
MacSword for Apple and Bible + (Palm OS) to my
students. For most users, these programmes are
perfectly adequate, and it seems unnecessary to pay
for cheap commercial programmes which offer little
more (and often less).
Of course, the usual limitations of 'free software'
apply to Bible+ as well. While it generally performs
very well for the tasks it is designed for, getting
it to work on your PDA in exactly the way you want
it may require a bit of time and some 'fiddling'. As
a PDA novice, it took me several hours to get it all
sorted. It must be said though that most of my
problems derived from trying to get Greek and Hebrew
texts to work properly. However, there is a good
number of experienced users who can be asked for
help via the user forum on the programme
homepage.
I must also admit that I am, perhaps unreasonably so, just
a touch worried about the quality of the text basis
offered in Bible versions for free software. Errors
can creep in rather easily (and, since I have a
suspicious mind, perhaps also deliberately).
However, having fairly recently handed over about
£200 for a copy of BibleWorks 6, I was reminded that
the expectation of high quality comes at a price:
quality and confidence in a text, that is,
comparable to, say, a printed copy of Nestle-Aland
27, coupled with Bachmann & Slaby's Concordance. [2]
2. Basic Functions
The principle of the
programme is a simple and familiar one: Bible+ allows the user to read Biblical
texts and to perform simple search functions. Texts must be installed separately
and individually once the main programme has been installed. If you use an
additional memory card, you can move Bible versions to it in order to preserve
precious RAM on the PDA itself (versions may take between 500kb and 2Mb).
Up to two versions may be displayed
at any time, with a variable horizontal or vertical screen split: as can be seen
in fig. 2 & 3, this allows for a highly configurable system depending on one's
particular needs.
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Fig. 2: Two versions; 1:1 horizontal split |
The text on the screen
scrolls/moves either by means of hard-wired tool
buttons on the PDA, or by 'dragging' the text by means of the stylus. In
addition, the menu at the top of screen allows for the selection of 'book',
chapter and verse to jump to. There are also a number of useful shortcuts for
PDA's with a 'graffiti' area to write on. All this is quite simple, intuitive,
and easy to use.
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Fig. 3: Two versions; 1:3 vertical split |
3. Bible modules and other texts for use in Bible +
The Bible+ website offers the usual
range of free Bible versions for use with this programme; usual, that is, for
many freeware / open source Bible applications: various forms of the Authorised
Version ("King James Version"); American Standard Version, Bible in Basic
English, Darby Bible, and so on. Because of the licensing policies of the
copyright owners of certain popular versions (such as the New Revised Standard
Version, or the New International Version), these versions are generally not
available for use in free / open source Bible programmes, including Bible+. This
is a major drawback of Bible+, or any other freeware Bible programme for that
matter – conversely, this is the attraction of commercial programmes.
However, it is technically possible
to export the raw text-base of such versions (eg. NRSV) from other legally owned
programmes (eg. BibleWorks), and then to convert this, or "roll your own", into
a version for use in Bible+. As to whether this is actually legal, I have no
idea; it would seem sensible to allow someone who has forked out £200 for
BibleWorks 6 further use of the NRSV text, but lawyers tend to think differently
from other mortals. Presumably copyright law depends on the country you live in,
too. Be that as it may, there are fairly detailed instructions for this
procedure on the Bible+ website.
| Bible+ can display not only multiple Bible versions, but
also other texts, once they are converted to use in Bible+. For
example, I have Philo's texts (Yonge's translation, that is) on my PDA
(fig. 4). The size of such text files can be quite large: Philo's text,
for instance, takes up about 1.5Mb. However, this is no larger than
some Bible versions.
Certain classic Bible commentaries and resources are also available,
as for many free Bible programmes: Matthew Henry's Commentary, John
Wesley's Notes, and so on. |
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Fig. 4: Philo, De opificio mundi |
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Non-Latin character sets may be
used with Bible+. In fact, this programme was originally created to display
Chinese versions. Polytonic Greek has been possible with Bible+ for a quite a
while now, and the consonantal text of the Hebrew Bible was also available. The
latest beta releases of Bible+ (for Palm OS5) now also offer a beautiful
vocalised Hebrew text (BHS). (fig. 5) |
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Fig. 5: Vocalised Hebrew text (BHS) |
4. Searching
Displaying the text is obviously an
important part of Bible software, and the ability to split the screen to show
two versions at a time is a great thing for the small screens of PDA's. But
another major advantage of any decent Bible software is the search function,
which at its very basic level allows the use to create a concordance on-the-fly.
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In Bible+, the search functions are
fairly basic, yet quite powerful. For English texts (and those using the same
character set), it is fairly straightforward: both terms and phrases may be
searched for, with optional case sensitivity for the character string chosen. So
far, it is not possible to use Boolean logic searches, though, and wildcards do
not work either. In principle, searches of the non-Latin character based texts
are also possible, though one first has to determine the transliteration system
used for that particular version. At present, there does not appear to be any
documentation for this on the programme website or its associated discussion
forum, but when proceeding on a trial-and-error basis, I found it fairly
intuitive – certainly with Greek. (Fig. 6) |
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Fig. 6: LXX search results |
While the display speed of the
versions is good, searches are quite slow. There is no other way of putting it.
If you are used to programmes on recent desktop systems, you will be
disappointed with this. Obviously, processor power and memory size on different
PDA's will have some effect on speed (and needless to say, on both scores, PDA's
cannot be compared with modern desktop machines), but a simple comparison test
should illustrate what I mean. If I run a search for the key terms "root,
offspring, David" in the ASV, I expect to find only one passage, towards the end
of the canon (Rev. 22:16). Running such a search on my desktop PC, with a 2.4Gh
processor and 512Mb of RAM, the freeware programme e-Sword will return the
answer in just over a second; the commercial and professional programme,
BibleWorks 6 takes a mere 0.02 seconds. On my Tungsten E, Bible+ takes almost
six minutes to do the same job. Of course, one can cut down on search time by
restricting the search parameters in a sensible fashion, most importantly by
limiting the number of 'books' the programme will work through.
5. Other Functions
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Bible+ offers a variety of other
useful functions of which I will mention only a few. First, it is possible to
link Bible+ with dictionaries such as
RoadLingua or BDicty via thePlucker Plugin Interface. Whether it is worth
your while doing this is an interesting questions: after all, this depends on
the availability of actually useful dictionary files for RoadLingua or BDicty in
the first place; it should be interesting to keep an eye on both RoadLingua and
BDicty in this regard. One should also add that some Bible+ version files
already incorporate the popular "Strong's Numbers", or morphological
analysis (TVM), which may be switched on or off with the 'footnote'
function (fig. 7). |
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Fig. 7: GNT with TVM switched on |
Secondly,
the usual TSK cross-references are available as a plug-in; double-tapping on a
verse number will then open a list of "parallel passages". Again, a tool to be
used with caution (who determines what is 'parallel'?). Thirdly, "bookmarks" may
be recorded to allow for quick access to selected passages or search results; a
useful tool for classes, or as a quick reminder for later follow-up. Fourthly,
Bible+ supports simple note-taking; notes can then be exported to the memo-pad.
6. Conclusion
Ultimately, Bible+ must be
evaluated in relation to other PDA software, not with desktop programmes.
Serious research with Greek and Hebrew texts is still the domain of professional
programmes for PC's and Mac's.
However, when compared with other
freely available PDA programmes, Bible+ is clearly streets ahead: before we get
too critical of Bible+, it is a good idea to run a fairly new programme like the
UniBible (by the producers of the internet-basedUnbound Bible) and
observe the difference in quality and features: Bible+ is simply in a different
league. On the other hand, I have not had the opportunity to test commercial
products (Olive Tree's PDA software seems
to be among the best), so I cannot offer comments on those in comparison to
Bible+.
Given that Bible+ is offered free of charge, it is frankly amazing to
see how high the quality of this programme is, and how much support one
can find in voluntary user and developer groups. If you want a
straightforward programme to display Bible translations, do simple
searches, perhaps compare two versions, and take some notes, Bible+ is
an obvious choice. I would always recommend it for this purpose.
Working with Greek and Hebrew texts in Bible+ is increasingly becoming
easier with the latest programme release, though you still need to be
prepared to fiddle with the programme for a while to get it all working
satisfactorily. The lack of immediate access to copyright restricted
versions such as the NIV or the NRSV will annoy some users; but then,
if you are prepared to engage in some trial-and-error work, and if you
have already purchased that version for another package for another
platform, it is not too difficult to import the text into Bible+. On a
scale of 1-10, I would give Bible+ 9 points.
7. Internet Links
http://palmbibleplus.sourceforge.net [official programme homepage; programme
and Bible version download; online manual; user forum; multiple further links]
http://www.thechan.com
[Gary Chan offers a number of resources, particularly for Greek and Chinese
versions]
http://members.aon.at/neuhold/palm/palmbible_en.html [conversion tools for
"rolling one's own"]
http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/ap85 [links, texts, tips from one of the
developers]
http://www.wjsp.net/palm_bible.html [tips; texts in Greek, Hebrew, Syriac]
http://www.stjamesturramurra.org.au/stead/Palm.htm [UBS3 and BHS]
http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/prod/dialspace/town/pipexdsl/s/asci84/files
[Greek, Hebrew and Arabic versions]
http://www.mclean.faithweb.com/PalmScriptures.html [many Bible versions;
Philo; Josephus; Nag Hammadi; plus Qur'an and foundational Islamic texts]
http://www.palmgear.com [various Bible+ tools and texts on this general site].
UPDATE (December 3, 2005): Palm Bible + version 3.20
Palm Bible+ version 3.2 offers a number of improvements. Complete details are
listed on the programmewebsite. I should like to highlight the more important ones:
1. Search Speed
Search speed has increased significantly. The specific search mentioned in the
original review ("offspring, root, David" in the ASV) now takes just over a
minute on a Tungsten E. This is still nowhere near what a decent desktop machine
can do with freeware (like e-Sword), let alone commercial high-end programmes
like BibleWorks, but it is a vast improvement on the six minutes this search
took on earlier Bible+ versions.
Speed can be improved further with theLightspeed
overclocking programme that Bible+ now makes use of, if installed. The
power-hungry over-clocking feature will only kick in during searches. Setting my
Tungsten E to 180Mhz, the search speed for the test mentioned above improved
somewhat (from just over a minute to about 42 seconds). I should add though that
the Lightspeed facility is only free in its current Beta test version 2.0;
otherwise this is a commercial product. I did have some problems with restarting
my Tungsten E with Lightspeed installed, but that is another matter.
2. Boolean searches
Bible+ now supports Boolean searches (AND, OR, NOT) together with the ability to
specify which term / phrase ought to precede the other, as well as wildcard
searches. However, searches are still limited to single verses only, that is,
the search function does not allow the user to find possible matches across a
specified range of verses.
Interestingly enough, a slightly more complex test search across the whole ASV
(grace AND lord AND jesus NOT christ: six results including Rev 22:21) took just
as long as a more simple search (above).
3. Greek / Hebrew and Search Documentation
Searching is now much better documented, including the transliteration scheme
needed for searches of the Greek and Hebrew texts. When in the 'Find' window,
tap the 'i' symbol in the top right corner and scroll down the 'search' help
comments. As before, searching works on consonantal Hebrew / unaccented Greek
only, although it is possible to display vocalised / accented texts.
4. Number of versions
The restriction on the maximum number of versions that one can carry on the
system (default: 48) has been lifted, or rather: it is now possible to choose a
larger number (up to 500).
5. Text to Speech
Palm OS5 devices with sound support can now make use of a text-to-speech
function, provided there is sufficient memory (requires 6 MB of free RAM and 2
MB of dynamic heap). This function uses a free programme calledTalking Moose (another
link here). Due to memory limitations, I have not been able to test this.
6. Auto-scroll
A handy feature for reading Bible texts continuously is the new auto-scroll
function. Tap once on the screen and the text begins to scroll (speed is
adjustable), tap again and it stops.
7. Link to Reading Planner
Users who like to read the Bible continuously can download theReading Planner programme which selects the Bible 'books' you wish to read, as well as the period of time over
which you want to do so. The programme then divides the text into equal sections
and links to Bible+.
In Conclusion
Other programmes would no doubt have included a minor face-lift to the programme
and then called this 'version 4': the changes are significant enough to warrant
this. Well done and thank you to the Bible+ developers' community!
